Method of making playing balls



March 1943- L. A. YOUNG 2,314,964

METHOD OF MAKING PLAYING BALLS Filed July 51, 1941 INVENTOR. Lao/702 0 /7 KQZIWp BY @MQ WW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE inm' Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Michf, assignor to The L. A. Young Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application July 31, 1941, Serial No. 404,784

8 Claims. (Cl. 154-19) the ball is formed mainly of wound rubber strands under tension.

Second, to provide a method of making playing balls which enables the production of balls such as golf balls of high quality economically and uniformly.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of the invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

Various steps in the method of manufacturing playing balls according to my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a spherical rubber container.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the container of Fig. 1 illustrating the method of filling the container.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a filled container.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a filled container on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the filled container with the initial winding thereon.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section illustrating the manner in which the winding fractures or cuts the container.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the collapsed winding and container resulting from the thawing or liquefying of the container contents.

Fig. 8 is a side View of a completely wound ball.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a covered ball.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9 showing the relation of the collapsed container, the winding and the cover.

In the manufacture of golf balls the quite general practice is to provide a center of molded rubber or a casing or container filled with a fluid, these constituting the center of the completed ball. They are also of utility in winding the ball, and most winding machines are designed to wind the elastic strands upon a winding core or pellet. Certain methods have been devised for producing balls of the so-called coreless type, that is, balls in which the entire ball is formed of wound strand material. My present method relates to the manufacture of balls in which the body is formed substantially of the wound strand material. The accompanying drawing is submitted to aid in understanding the method.

In the practice of my invention I provide a spherical container l which is preferably of rubber, and this I fill to the point of substantial expansion of the wall with a fluid 2 indicated in Fig. 3 capable of being rendered solid by freezing, and I have found water .to be very suitable. It will be noted that in Fig. 4 the wallof the container i is expanded and rendered quite thin. The filled expanded container is designated by the numeral 3. A hypodermicneedie 4 may be used as a filling medium.

After the container is filled and expanded to the desired extent it is frozen to provide a solid pellet indicated at, 5 in Figs. 5 and 6. This solid pellet is then wound with elastic or rubber strands 6 under substantial tension to provide a surrounding layer 1 of the elastic strands, this winding being carried out preferably by a winding machine. There are machines now extensive- 1y used which are suitable for winding the frozen or solid pellet with rubber strands. This winding is conventionally shown in the drawing. The container walls are stretched so that they become quite thin and are under substantial tension when they are filled. The winding is applied at such tension that it cuts or ruptures the container wall indicated at 8 at a plurality of points.

After this first winding the ice of the filling liquid is melted or liquefied and escapes through the winding about the container so that the 'winding collapses and collapses the container wall centrally within the winding as indicated in Fig. 7, the collapsed container wall being indicated at 9.

I thus provide a ball body center portion made up entirely of the contracted winding and the collapsed container wall. This ball center is then again placed in the winding machine and is further wound with rubber strands or threads under tension to provide a ball body ill, this second winding continuing until a body of proper dimensions is secured. The cover ll may then be applied-in the usual manner, providing a completed golf ball composed mainly of the wound strands.

The filled and frozen container provides a very effective winding pellet and one which can be easily handled and placed in the winding machine; also one in which there is very little slippage or displacement of the winding strands during'the winding operation. Whileit is found that with the container'formed of proper stock the rubber strands efiectively cut or rupture the container in the winding operation, slits or cuts may be formed in the container if desired prior to placing in the winding machine, which insures the escape of the liquid when it is liquefied after the initial winding. v

Itis possible to completely wind the ball before thawing and allowing the liquid to escape, but the preferred method is to initially wind the winding pellet, liquefying the contents, allow ing them to escape and using the resultant ball or element as a center for further winding.

The tension of the initial winding is, of cbnrse, released or reduced by the contraction of the winding so that it, with the container wall, oc--.v cupies the space .initially occupied by the frozen liquid. The winding tension may be such that in the completed product the'strands are under the desired tension, which varies according tothe final results desired, the desired compression. being the determining factor. This may be and is varied to a considerable degree, but it will be understood that balls of certain grade are designed to have certain compression.

So far as the winding steps are concerned, my improved method may be performed on machines now commonly used in the manufacture of golf balls, which obviously is a feature to be desired. Devices suitable for filling the containers are alsoused in the manufacture of so-called liquid center golf balls, so expensive equipment is not required.

It will be understood that in the accompany ing drawing no attempt has been made toshow the various parts in their relative proportions, but it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention in an eflicient manner.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. Themethod of making a golf ball comprising filling a spherical rubber container with liquid to the point of expanding and stretching the container wall to the point of substantial tension, freezing the enclosed liquid to provide a solid winding pellet, winding rubber strands around this winding pellet under substantial tension to cut or rupture the container at a plurality of points and to provide a layer thereon of substantial thickness, liquefying the frozen liquid and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container centrally within the contracted winding providing a ball center composed entirely of the contracted winding and the collapsed container centrally within the winding, winding this center with rubber strands under substantial tension to provide a ball body, and applying a cover to such ball body.

ing filling a spherical rubber container with liquid to the point of expanding and stretching the container wall to the point of substantial tension, freezing the enclosed liquid to provide a .solid winding, pellet, winding rubber strands around this winding pellet under substantial tension to cut or rupture the container at a plurality of points and to provide a layer thereon of substantial thickness, and liquefyingthe frozen liquid and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and colpermitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container centrally within the contracted winding, and winding this ban center with rubber strands under'substantial tension to proper dimension to receive a cover.

4. The method of making a golf'ball comprising filling a spherical elastic container with a fluid capable of being solidified by freezing, freezing the fllledcontainer, winding rubber strands around the pellet thus produced under substantial tension to cut or rupture the container and to provide a layer of substantial thickness of wound strands, fluidifying the frozen fluid and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container .centrally within the contracted winding.

5. In the manufacture of playing balls, the method which comprises filling a spherical rubber container with water, freezing the enclosed water to provide a solid winding pellet, winding rubber strands around this winding pellet under substantial tension to cut or rupture the container and to provide a layer thereon of substantial thickness, and thawing the frozen water and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container centrally within the contracted winding forming a substantially spherical body composed of the contracted winding and the collapsed container centrally therein.

6. In the manufacture of playing balls, the

60 2. The method of making a. golf ball comprismethod which comprises filling a spherical rubber container with water, freezing the enclosed water to provide a solid winding pellet, winding rubber strands around this winding pellet under substantial tension to cut or rupture the container and to provide a layer thereon of substantial thickness, and thawing the water and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contractand collapse the container centrally within the contracted winding forming a substantially spherical body composed of the contracted winding and the collapsed container centrally therein. v

7. In the manufacture of playing balls, the method which comprises filling a collapsible container with a fluid capable of being solidified by freezing, freezing the filled container providing a solid winding pellet, winding rubber strands under substantial tension upon the pellet to' rupture the container and to provide a layer of wound strands of substantial thickness, fluidifying the frozen fluid and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container within the contracted winding.

8. In the manufacture of winding centers for playing balls, the method which comprises filling a spherical rubber container with liquid to the point of expanding and stretching the wall of the container to a point of substantial tension, freezing filling a spherical elastic container with a -to provide a layer of substantial thickness of wound strands, fiuidifying'the frozen fluid and ing to provide a solid winding pellet, winding elastic thread under tension upon said winding pellet to cut or rupture the container and provide a winding thereon of substantial thickness. and liquefying the frozen liquid and permitting it to escape through and from the winding and the winding to contract and collapse the container therein and the space formerly occupied by the winding pellet to be taken up by the collapsed container and the tensioned threads.

LEONARD A. YOUNG. 

